Then Sing We All, Both Great And Small
by Archangel Samuel
Summary: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are the only angels entrusted with the knowledge of their Father's holy plan. For the sake of humanity, they are charged to protect a young girl who will soon give birth to the Son of God. The Nativity from the angels' perspective.
1. Chapter 1

**Then Sing We All, Both Great And Small**

"Are you telling us that He will walk among men?"

Michael looked out among the crowd of his brothers and sisters and saw the confusion on their faces. It was proving very difficult to explain what was to happen without revealing the entire Plan. Only he, Gabriel, and Raphael were trusted with the exact details of how mankind would be saved.

He turned to the angel who had spoken, Ariel, the dark-skinned apprentice to Raphael.

"Far more than that," Michael said. "He will _be _a man. He will walk the line between divine and mortal."

The angels began to whisper loudly amongst themselves. Ariel spoke again.

"Surely you are not saying that He will be mortal?"

"Indeed, He will be. Entirely mortal and entirely divine," Michael patiently answered.

"But there is wickedness among mortals! What if they reject Him? What if they _kill _Him?!" Ariel said. Several angels murmured in agreement.

The discussion was quickly getting out of hand, and Michael did not speak for fear of revealing too much. He looked at Raphael and silently pled for support. The healer caught the message and immediately took hold of his student's arm.

"Be calm, Ariel. All of you, be calm!" Raphael added in a loud voice. The angels became silent again.

"This is Father's plan for the salvation of mankind, whom He loves. The Son will be made truly human. That is all you need to know. Father remains in control, and all will be revealed in time. Now, back to your preparations, all of you!" Raphael said with a commanding tone.

Ariel and the other angels quietly went on their way, leaving Raphael and Michael alone.

"Thanks for the help," Michael said, relieved. "I often wonder why Father put me in charge of leading the others and not you."

"A foolish contemplation, if you ask me. If I were busy herding your sheep around, where would I find the time to heal the injuries they so commonly and idiotically incur?" Raphael said without a hint of humor.

Michael crossed him arms and glanced upward, thoughtfully. "And I suppose I'm also much nicer than you," he mused. He smiled when he got a short, dry chuckle out of his brother.

"Enough about our younger siblings. Where is Gabriel?" Raphael said. "It is nearly time."

"I believe he is preparing his speech. You know he nervous he gets."

"Yes, but I don't understand _why_. He has more experience speaking to humans than any of us. How difficult can it be to tell a woman that she will bear a son? He's done it once already," Raphael grumbled.

"Actually—"

Michael and Raphael both turned at the sound of the third archangel's voice. The messenger, Gabriel, smiled as he continued:

"Actually, I have never spoken to a woman before. It was Elizabeth's husband whom I spoke to. And I am not simply 'telling a woman that she will bear a son.' I am telling a _betrothed, virgin_ woman that she will bear _the Son of God. _It is a very different thing. Besides, women are more fragile creatures than men, and you have seen how terrified even the men become."

"No woman who births a child can be called a fragile creature," Raphael said. "I have attended enough births to know that."

"Raphael is right," Michael chimed in. "Mary was chosen among many. Yes, she will be frightened, but, more importantly, she will be brave and strong."

"At this point, I think I may be more frightened than she will be," Gabriel said, defeated. Raphael stepped over and put his arm around Gabriel's shoulders.

"It is all going to go fine. Just…try not to forget the Child's name, all right?"

Gabriel ducked out of the healer's embrace as Michael burst out laughing.

"Not helping!" the messenger yelled.

"Sorry, Gabriel," Michael said, regaining control. "You have our full support. We know you are going to do just fine." Raphael nodded in agreement.

Michael looked down at the Earth far below them. "Mary is alone. Now is the time." He looked back at Gabriel, who swallowed and nodded.

* * *

The archangels traveled quickly to the town of Nazareth and found the young maiden they sought. She had a small frame, and her thick, dark hair fell over her face as she gathered water at the well near her home. As soon as they were within sight of the girl, Michael put one arm out. "There she is," he whispered. "Raphael, stay back with me. Let Gabriel approach on his own."

Raphael stopped next to his leader, unable to hide his disbelief.

"But Michael, is she truly the one? She looks so young."

"She is of marrying age," Michael reminded him.

"I just did not expect…" Raphael suddenly pulled Michael closer, speaking in hushed tones. "What will happen to her when her new husband finds out?"

"Joseph is of the line of David. He is a good man," Michael said.

"That does not matter. She is supposed to be a virgin. When her people find her with child—"

"Nothing can or will touch that girl. Not while we are here to protect her."

The archangels looked up as they heard a cry of terror. Gabriel had approached the girl while they were talking, and he had just now revealed himself to her. His brothers listened in as Gabriel greeted Mary with praise. The young maiden looked even smaller as she cowered in the light of the archangel, but she seemed to gain strength little by little when Gabriel began to deliver his message.

"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus." Gabriel glanced quickly back at his brothers.

"Well done," Raphael muttered. Michael smiled reassuringly. "Keep talking!" he mouthed back at Gabriel. The messenger continued his speech.

"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; His kingdom will never end."

The other two archangels sighed with relief. The next step in the Plan had been fulfilled. Mary found her voice and questioned Gabriel, and the archangel skillfully responded.

"I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled," Mary said, now standing fully upright on her feet, yet barely reaching the height of Gabriel's chest. Gabriel bowed respectfully and crossed back to the divine plane.

The messenger was still trembling with excitement when he rejoined his brothers.

"It is done," he said.

"Yes. You did well. Unfortunately, it will only get more difficult from here," Michael said. "Mary will face danger from her own people, and there are unseen enemies who will try to thwart the Plan at all costs."

"And even if we succeed, thirty-four years from now…" Raphael began, very softly.

"Father's will be done," Michael said, but it did nothing to raise their spirits. "Let us prepare ourselves, my brothers. These next nine months will not be easy."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

**-Samuel**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Totally not Christmastime, but why not hear more about Mary and the angels? This is for Steampunk Timelord, because I couldn't bear to make a timelord cry.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"The child grows strong and quickly," Michael commented as he and the other two guardians followed their charge through the marketplace.

Raphael studied Mary's form with the keen eye of a healer. He was happy to confirm his brother's statement. The child was strong, and so was his mother. Though she had appeared young and frail when they first looked upon her, she had quickly taken to her task with a willing and joyful heart. Three months in and her body had already begun to change, clear youthful angles slowly shaping into graceful curves.

Raphael looked up at the surrounding crowds and saw more than one expression of disdain directed at Mary. "Be on guard; there are enemies here," he said.

Just as Raphael finished speaking a woman in the crowd suddenly pointed a gnarly finger at their charge. The three archangels watched in horror as a demon appeared from nowhere and placed its claws on the older woman's shoulders.

"Sinner!" the woman shrieked. Mary backed away, trying to appear smaller. Michael rushed forward and dispatched the demon with one swing of his sword while the other two archangels quickly pulled in closer to Mary. More demons began to appear that were previously hidden in the crowd, twenty, then thirty of them. Though individually weak, the demons could form great throngs capable of taking down archangels under the right circumstances.

"We cannot hold them off and protect her at the same time," Raphael spoke urgently to Michael.

"Gabriel. Who else is nearby?" Michael asked the messenger.

"Just Ariel and Samuel," Gabriel responded.

"Samuel is inexperienced, and Ariel is a healer, not a warrior. They will not be enough," Raphael warned.

Several people in the crowd began to pick up stones.

"They will have to do," Michael said, "Call to them, now!" He put him hands on Mary's shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Run, Mary!"

Mary broke out of her terror-induced paralysis and turned to run, but the crowd was quickly closing in. As many as five demons were hanging on to each human, planting thoughts of hatred and intolerance into their minds.

Meanwhile, Gabriel cried out to Samuel and Ariel for their aid. The two angels were there almost immediately, swords out and flashing. The demons left the men and women and fell upon the newcomers. Mary saw the handfuls of stones lowering, and she took her chance to run. She held her clothing off of her feet with one hand and held her other arm protectively over her midsection. Her guardians went with her, one on either side and one behind her. Soon, the crowds were far behind them, and Mary stopped to catch her breath.

"Is she all right? Did they hurt her?" Michael asked with worry.

"Be quiet," Raphael ordered as he checked over the young maiden. Another tense moment, and then, "She is fine. Not one stone dared to bruise her."

"We have Samuel and Ariel to thank for that. If they had not been there to distract the demons—"

"Shh! I am trying to hear!" Gabriel interrupted Michael in a hushed but forceful tone.

Michael crossed his arms, more than a little annoyed that his lower-ranking siblings had shushed him twice in one minute. "What is it now?" he whispered back, trying to control his temper.

Gabriel's look of concentration turned to worry. "Samuel is crying for help. The demons were too many for them. Ariel is hurt." He turned back to his brothers. "They need you. Both of you."

Michael nodded. "Stay with-"

"I'll stay with Mary," Gabriel interrupted, again. "Just go, now!"

Michael stifled a growl of frustration and turned to see that Raphael was already gone.

* * *

The crowd of demons was still there when Michael arrived, all facing inward toward something on the ground. Samuel was outside the crowd trying to fight his way in, but the demons regarded him as a minor annoyance, ignoring him almost entirely. Michael's sword was instantly out, cutting down five enemies with each swing. His efforts nearly doubled when he heard a familiar voice scream in pain.

Raphael did not fight, but instead pushed his way in, aided by his slender frame and his desperation to find his student. He began to see feathers all around him—white glossy feathers tipped with blood. Several of the demons had tufts of them clenched in their claws, which they showed to each other with gloating faces. Raphael's fears were confirmed when he made it to the center of the crowd. No less than five demons were holding Ariel down as several others ripped handfuls of feathers from his bloodied wings. One of them grinned at Raphael, showing off the bits of white feather in his black teeth. With a cry of rage, Raphael threw himself over Ariel, protecting him from further harm.

The demons reached out to grab at Raphael's wings, but found their claws on fire. Their screams of indignation were cut short by Michael's sword as the head archangel finished them off. He and Samuel worked quickly, and the rest of the demons were soon slain. With the battle finally won, they approached their wounded brother.

Ariel was lying on his side, both of his hands in Raphael's firm grip. His cheeks were stained with tears and blood, but his eyes were open and lucid.

"I must see to your wings," Raphael was saying, quietly.

"Is there anything we can do?" Michael asked, still panting from the exertion of battle.

Raphael looked back at him sharply. His eyes held a fierce protectiveness, but Michael saw right through it to the panic within.

"Just give us space. He is too crowded," he answered.

"No, I want them close," Ariel spoke up, hoarsely, "I...I am afraid."

"There is nothing to fear," Michael said, sitting down beside him. He quickly took in the sight of Ariel's wings. Almost half of his feathers had been torn out, leaving the frames tattered and bloody. Samuel also sat down by their fallen brother, remaining very still and silent. Raphael was careful to ignore him completely.

"Are they broken?" Michael asked, quietly. Raphael shook his head.

"Believe me, they tried. The wings are badly strained, but it seems the demons gave up and decided to take his feathers instead." He pulled his right hand out of Ariel's grip and placed it on one injured wing. The renewed pain caused fresh tears to spring in Ariel's eyes.

"Please stop," he said, trying to pull away from his brother and teacher.

"I must heal your wings. It will not take long," Raphael tried to reason with the injured angel while Michael and Samuel watched, anxious and helpless. Raphael pulled his other hand free and placed both of them on the bloodied wings. Ariel tensed and cried out, but Raphael's face remained stoic.

"Shh, be calm," he murmured. "You are a healer, Ariel. Focus on healing."

Ariel closed his eyes and gradually relaxed under his teacher's hands. Soft, sleek feathers began to grow where they had been torn out minutes before. Raphael let go of the rapidly healing wings and heaved a deep sigh of relief.

"He will be fine." Raphael looked at Samuel for the first time since Ariel had been hurt. "What happened? Why did you leave him alone?" The fear in his eyes had been replaced with anger.

"I-I tried to stop them, but there were too many-" Samuel began.

"Do not blame Samuel," Michael interrupted. "He did his best."

Raphael stood up. "Take care of him," he ordered. Samuel nodded.

"I will."

Raphael flew quickly away, and Michael had to rush to catch up with him. He reached out and grabbed the healer's arm, forcing him to stop.

"I know you are angry with me," Michael stated.

"You are not the one who tore the feathers from my student's wings," Raphael said, dismissively.

"And neither is Samuel," Michael reminded. "Let us stop blaming ourselves and focus on the true enemy. Ariel was hurt because we could not fight demons and defend Mary at the same time. She needs better protection than we can offer. She needs her husband."

"We are agreed. But we have a problem. Joseph has not spoken with her since she returned from her visit to Elizabeth. It seems his aim is to divorce her without publicly disgracing her," Raphael commented, though there was a clear note of disdain in his voice.

"Then we have no choice. One of us will need to explain the situation," said Michael. "I will send Gabriel to visit Joseph this very night."

"No," Raphael objected, the memory of his bleeding brother still fresh on his mind. "Joseph needs to know what is at stake. He needs to know what his apathy has caused. I will go."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**

**-Samuel**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter, as it took away about 2.5 hours of my practice time today. :-)**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Joseph was dreaming.

The woman he loved was before him, her hand outstretched and a smile on her face. He instinctively reached out to her, only to see her smile disappear, replaced by an expression of fear and pain. He looked down and saw a large, jagged stone in his hand.

"Not you too," Mary whispered as tears streamed down her face.

Joseph dropped the stone as if it were on fire. He tried again to reach out to Mary, but she turned and ran.

A horde of people passed on either side of him and took pursuit while Joseph helplessly watched, his legs frozen in place by some unseen force. The crowd raised the stones in their hands.

"Leave her alone!" Joseph shouted, but his voice was hoarse and drowned out by the cries of the people.

The stones flew.

Joseph closed his eyes and turned away. When he opened them again, a dazzlingly white figure filled up his vision, momentarily blinding him. He fell on the ground in terror, his arms covering his face.

The voice that spoke to him was soft, but intimidating.

"That was not a dream," it said.

Joseph peered through the space between his arms and blinked several times at the tall, slender being before him.

"W-who are you?" he asked.

"I am Raphael, the Healer. But today I am Raphael the Messenger."

A messenger. An _angel._

"I am the Lord's servant," Joseph said, praying that it was the proper response. "Tell me, what must I-"

"That was not a dream," Raphael interrupted, a clear note of irritation in his voice. "A crowd of men and women attacked Mary today with stones."

Joseph's terror at seeing the angel melted away, replaced by concern for his beloved.

"Is she all right? Was she hurt?"

The archangel looked down at him with disdain.

"What does it matter to you?"

"I love her," Joseph said automatically. "I have _always_ loved her!"

"You have abandoned her. That hardly sounds like love," Raphael said.

"I had no choice! I cannot marry a woman who behaves this way. The Law says I only need two witnesses to divorce her; it is the safest option for her. It will all be resolved privately," Joseph said, more to himself than to the angel.

Raphael's level of annoyance was rising rapidly; he was not used to angels talking back to him, much less humans.

"She is out there now, alone and expecting a child," Raphael said, barely able to contain his anger. "You think a secret divorce will save her from the raging masses?"

"She has disgraced herself!" Joseph cried. "She is carrying someone else's child." His eyes filled with tears as he began to realize how very hurt he actually was. "I thought quietly divorcing her would be the graceful thing to do," he continued, defensively.

Raphael's wrath became fully ignited.

"You think forsaking the one you love is graceful?!" he roared. Joseph cowered once again, shielding his face from the blinding light of the archangel. But Raphael was not finished. He stepped toward Joseph and dropped to one knee in front of him. His voice became quiet, but the aggression remained.

"To fall defending one whose life you place above your own is grace. To lay down your life for those who in a thousand lifetimes would never be worthy—that is grace. You know _nothing_ of grace!"

_"__Enough, Raphael!" _Raphael heard Michael's warning in his head. _"You must not take your anger out on Joseph. Do not forget who this man is, who his Son will be!" _

_"__I never did," _Raphael responded, but his whole demeanor softened as he looked down at the man before him. Joseph was weeping. His body shook as he sobbed, his tears falling to the ground. Raphael sighed, wearily. This was only a taste of the anguish that was to come. He placed is hand softly on Joseph's shoulder, and Joseph looked up at once, locking eyes with the archangel.

"You know nothing of grace," Raphael repeated gently, "…but you will." The archangel turned and sat down beside the humble carpenter.

"You must listen very carefully, Joseph: Do not be afraid to make Mary your wife. What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."

Raphael paused for a moment to let the words sink in.

"She will give birth to a son," he continued. "You will call Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."

"The Messiah," Joseph said, hardly daring to believe.

Raphael nodded. _"Immanuel."_

But Joseph shook his head, incredulous. "Then I am to raise a king? Me? A lowly carpenter?"

Raphael winced at the words. Joseph's idea of who the Messiah would be could not be further from the truth. This man had no idea about the sacrificial love that would be freely given to all.

Raphael spoke without thinking, "He will not be a king. He will be-"

_"__Raphael!" _Michael warned again. _"The less he knows now, the better."_

"-_Immanuel. _He will be _Immanuel,_" Raphael finished, awkwardly.

Joseph didn't seem to notice.

"I have been a fool," he said. "I know what kind of woman my beloved is. I should have realized the truth."

Raphael stood back up. "Take her home with you as your wife, but do not lie with her. Do you understand?"

"I understand…"

"Good." Raphael's wings spread, nearly doubling the light that shone forth from him.

"Raphael, wait!" Joseph cried, "How can I appear before Mary when I have caused her such pain? Will she even be able to forgive me?"

Raphael resisted rolling his eyes at the human. "Believe me, Joseph: if not her, then no one."

The light once again blinded Joseph, and the next thing he saw was the ceiling of his own home. He sat up, gasping for breath as his mind tried to process what he had just witnessed. He had heard stories about God's messengers appearing in dreams, but he had never expected that it could happen to him.

He looked out the window beside his bed and saw that the sun was already above the horizon. Mary must have awakened hours ago.

Joseph stood up. He had to find her. _Now._

* * *

"I cannot believe you let him do that!" Gabriel said, shaking his head at Michael. Raphael stood nearby, his arms crossed and his face turned away from his brothers.

"It is what he needed to hear," the healer-turned-messenger said, with no trace of regret in his voice. "The truth cannot always be sweetened with honey."

"You were needlessly cruel," Gabriel said. "There is a reason _I _am the messenger. Tell him, Michael!"

"Be still, Gabriel." Michael responded. "If Raphael has done any harm, it is certainly minimal. Joseph knows what he must do. That is all that matters."

"I hate to interrupt, but—"

The trio of archangels turned, their hands already on their weapons, but it was only Ariel.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you," the dark-skinned angel said.

"It is all right, we have been a little on edge lately," Gabriel admitted. "Did you need something?"

"Yes, I am reporting to Michael for an inspection, as protocol demands," Ariel said.

"Oh, I see," said Michael. He turned to Raphael. "Would you prefer to examine him? He is your student, after all."

"No, that is a captain's duty," Raphael said, then continued sarcastically, "I certainly would not want the wrath of Gabriel to come upon me for taking someone else's job."

Gabriel frowned and shook his head disapprovingly, but he offered no rebuttal.

"Well, let me have a look at you, then," Michael said, kindly. He circled and examined the young healer, paying particular attention to his wings. "Everything looks fine. Are you in any pain?"

"My wings are still quite sore," Ariel admitted, "but only when I fly," he hastily added.

Only Gabriel saw Raphael's brow and lips tighten with worry.

Michael frowned. "Are you sure you do not want to rest a while longer?"

"I am sure. I am falling behind on my duties, and Raphael needs me now more than ever," Ariel said, nodding to his teacher. Raphael nodded back,stiffly.

"You have rested enough. It is about time you started pulling your weight again," Raphael said, dismissively.

Ariel looked to Michael for confirmation.

"All right, Ariel. You have my permission to get back to work," their leader said.

Ariel tilted his head toward his captain. "Understood." He turned to leave, but was held back by Raphael's hand suddenly gripping his arm. Raphael glanced uncomfortably back at his fellow archangels, as if he wished they would disappear for a moment. Michael politely looked away, but Gabriel kept his eyes locked on the healer, a small smirk on his face.

Raphael looked back at Ariel, who acknowledged his teacher with questioning eyes. Raphael spoke very softly, but his words could not escape the acute hearing of his brothers.

"Please be careful, Ariel. We could have lost you yesterday. We—_I_ cannot lose you. Understand?"

"I understand," Ariel said, and his small smile was holding in tears. He left quickly before they had a chance to fall.

Raphael sighed with exhaustion and turned to find both his brothers staring at him.

"The whole thing was about Ariel then?" Gabriel accused, but not unkindly. "You were angry and worried about your student, so your response was to lash out at Joseph?"

"It is not as simple as you make it."

Raphael took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing.

"Not all humans understand how to love properly. They think that love is easy and sweet as honey. They think that love is something they can offer with conditions, something they can revoke when it loses its sweetness.

"Joseph thought that sparing Mary's life was love. But no," Raphael shook his head, "_saving _a life is love. Joseph needed to learn that, quickly. And yes, I admit it was my love for Ariel that drove me to do it. For you see, love is what hurts my heart when I see my brothers and sisters in pain.

"So perhaps you do not agree with my method, but I will not apologize for something I did out of love for Ariel, for Mary, and even for that foolish carpenter. Because now he understands, and he begs for forgiveness from Mary and from Father, forgiveness that will be freely given—out of _love._ That is the whole reason we are here right now, is it not?"

Raphael looked from Gabriel to Michael, but they were momentarily speechless. Then, Michael stepped forward.

"Yes, that is the reason we are here right now. Forgiveness, freely given out of love. The kind of love that hurts. And it will hurt, my brothers. It will hurt more than anything we have ever felt. That is how we will know it is real."

"Look, Michael, Raphael. He has found her," Gabriel whispered.

The three archangels silently watched as the humble carpenter fell at the feet of his beloved. He could hardly speak for his weeping, but his words were truer than anything he had ever spoken.

"I am so, so sorry, Mary. My eyes have been opened to the way I treated you. I have not loved you with my whole heart, and for that I am ashamed. I don't know if you'll ever be able to forgive me, but I promise if you just give me a chance to—"

But Mary never gave him that chance, because he was already in her arms, already forgiven.

* * *

**A/N: If the ending looked slightly stolen, it might have been heavily inspired by Zuko and Iroh's reunion in Avatar: the Last Airbender... I consider that scene to be the very best, most meaningful moment in the entire series. Makes me want to cry every time. :')**

**-Samuel**


End file.
